


The Day That Wasn't There

by Anonymous



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Established Relationship, Fuji dies but doesn't, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Violence, allusions to north mythology, and one magical ring to screw things up, based loosely around the rhinegold myth, but it all ends well, set before tezuka leaves for germany, so warnings for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7312291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter came early and still lasts by the time February approaches its end. With his departure to Germany looming, Tezuka wants to do something special for Fuji. But it seems the gift he picked out comes with strange side effects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act I

**Author's Note:**

> Heads up for violence and character death as well as an eventual happy ending. 
> 
> Also, this was written back in 2009 and I'm moving it here from [lj](http://paranoid-fridge.livejournal.com/22347.html#cutid1).

The first snow came early, then; around late October, not too long after Tezuka’s birthday. By the end of November the world had turned white, and even the usual traffic jams failed at keeping the pale substance off the streets.   


* * *

  


Darkness surrounded them; the thick warm darkness of being deep under the earth. There was no sky, not even a black one, no clouds nor any star to be reflected by black, unmoving waters covering the vast grounds. Not an end, nor a beginning within eyesight, though he knew, somehow, that no matter how far he’d walk into any direction, he would not find one. 

How anything was visible, he did not know, but there were thick, voluminous roots, belonging to an ancient tree, perhaps. On them, three ladies, weaving a single red string into impossibly complicated, ever-twisting patterns.

* * *

 

Fuji Syuusuke had been sitting on the couch, leisurely leafing through one of his sister’s fashion magazines. Practice had been cancelled due to snowfall – something that had happened far too often in the last four month – thus he had found himself home earlier than expected and his sister still asleep in one of the over-sized armchairs their mother had once insisted on buying. 

He’d meet up with Tezuka later on; perhaps for a round of tennis should they managed to secure an indoor court somewhere; otherwise just for dinner at a mall. Back in November they’d all been enthusiastic about the unusual amounts of snow – but now, nearing the end of February,  Fuji had seen enough of it. 

Just when he was about to turn a page, his sister stirred. 

“… ‘s here,” he caught her mumble, before she turned over and snuggled deeper into her blanket. Fuji smiled and returned to trying to figure out what was so sensational revolutionary about this spring’s fashion compared to last year’s.   


A glance at the clock told him he had to leave if he wanted to be in time.

* * *

  


“…and the principal asked us whether we had any idea what to do about the crows.” One student council member ended his list of suggestions. 

Tezuka nodded his agreement, while another started speaking: “We should wait until spring comes and see whether they stay. The influx of raven’s ‘s sorta happening everywhere and people say it’s probably because the winter’s so long this year.”

“Well, as long as they don’t attack anybody,” somebody else stated, “and spring shouldn’t be that far away anymore.”

Tezuka couldn’t help but frown. Hadn’t he, just last year, already worn a lighter jacket when he went to take  Fuji out for a surprise dinner? 

But looking at the snow outside, spring was nowhere in sight.   


* * *

  


“Excuse me, please.” 

The Japanese was strongly accented and when Fuji glanced up, he met an ageless face framed by white-blond hair. For a strange reason, the woman sent a shudder down Fuji’s spine.   


“Could you please tell me in what direction Seigaku Junior High School lies?” she asked in a voice that betrayed no emotion.

“You can follow this street and the turn right just after you pass Seven-Eleven,”  Fuji replied, puzzled as to why anybody was headed for school today. And a foreigner nonetheless.

”Thank you.” She turned and disappeared. 

Fuji too, shook his head and continued on his path. He glanced at the flock of ravens populating the park, mulling the scene over and ended up biting his lip – perhaps he should have told the woman about the short cut through the park. While she hadn’t been looking particularly cold (rather, if he was to make a guess, she came from a region used to far colder winters), it would have only been polite. 

When he turned around, there was a strangely dressed small figure approaching the woman. 

Fuji furrowed his brows. 

He heard only a light snap, but it was enough to send to ravens up in a flurry of wings and black feathers. For a few, precious moments the world around  Fuji had turned into an abstract cosmos of blacks and whites, where even gravity had lost meaning. 

Then the scene cleared. 

And all he saw was wet, muddy pavement.

* * *

  


Tezuka was certain he’d never seen the odd, small man approaching him determinedly in an empty school corridor before. Actually, nobody other than student council members and the groundkeeper should be around. 

Nor did he think, this strange, somewhat foreign looking man belonged here. 

“You!” he grunted and lifted his head.

The wild, obsessed gleam to his eyes made Tezuka stop. Had a madman found his way into their school? Or a drunkard? He swallowed, reminding himself of his duty, but the man was faster.

“Give it back!” he exclaimed hoarsely, “Give it back! It belongs to me! ME! IT’S MINE!”

For a split second Tezuka expected the man to draw a knife and attack him. 

“Is there a problem?”

Tezuka had never been so relieved to hear the voice of Seigaku’s latest English teacher, Ms. Bryn. She’d made a surprisingly good addition to Seigaku’s staff – Tezuka had yet to find a fault with her, and somehow to him she appeared a little suspicious. 

But today he’d gladly leave this business in her hands.

The small man had halted his approach, turned to glare at the lady – and paled abruptly. “You,” he uttered, before falling mysteriously completely silent.

Ms. Bryn sighed and turned a warm smile at Tezuka. “You looked as if you wanted to go somewhere – just leave this to me.”

And with a nod Tezuka turned and left. Normally, he’d have stayed out of responsibility. But today was special. Too special to keep  Fuji waiting.

* * *

 

One raised her hand to gesture at the thread. Her voice, when she spoke, sounded even, calm, and foreboding lasted heavy on each syllable.   


“The time is approaching.”

* * *

  


Fuji was surprised when Tezuka greeted him with a friendly hug. They’d agreed to keep affectionate gestures away from public places, for the time being. Still,  Fuji didn’t mind, but wrapped his arms around Tezuka’s shoulders. 

“So, what do we do?”  Fuji asked with a bright smile. 

Tezuka had to suppress a sudden urge to reach out and touch his cheek – that smile was effectively melting his brain; but at the moment he could still control himself.   


“You’ll see when we get there.”

* * *

 

Ms Bryn meanwhile was quite surprised when the odd man abruptly turned to his left; grew as white as paper and gasped for air. 

“You…” He lifted a badly shaking hand.

She tensed. 

“What are you…”

He gurgled and collapsed suddenly. A faint thread of red trickled from the corner of his mouth. 

“… doing here?” A young boy completed the sentence, just as he stepped out from the shadows. He smiled at Ms Bryn. “We all know that pretty well, don’t we? Say, aren’t you going to attack me?”

Ms Bryn, too, smiled. It was not a friendly expression. “Oh, no. I don’t quite mind seeing competition removed – and as for anything else. We shall see.”   


* * *

  


“That’s wonderful!”  Fuji exclaimed. His voice was muffled by the thick scarf, but it did nothing to dampen his elation at the sight before him. Tezuka couldn’t help but smile slightly – it had been a spontaneous idea to come here. 

The sea, after all, was not only beautiful in summer – right now the water was a dark, deep blue and calmer than seemed possible with those dark, grey clouds above. Snow covered the ground, and there were first patches of ice visible on the surface. 

Fuji turned around and the smile on his face lightened up the dreary day. “Thank you Tezuka! That’s the best un-birthday present I ever got!” 

A cold wind tore at his coat and Tezuka had to squint. For a moment he though there was a black ship on the horizon, but when he blinked it was gone. Rather than giving the odd hallucination any further thought, he walked up to Fuji’s side and enjoyed the sharp, salty air.   


* * *

 

Somewhere, on the other side of the rainbow, an old-looking man straightened up. 

“Will you interfere?” a lady seated at his side asked. “You know …."

His eyes grew small. “Not directly, but…”

* * *

  


“This is my actual present.”

Fuji looked in disbelief at the small, black box Tezuka was holding out. He blinked, before smiling tentatively. 

“Tezuka, is this…?”

“Just open it.” Tezuka replied, feeling his cheeks heat up. He glanced away, intending to concentrate on the ravens and gulls around them, rather than on  Fuji ’s reaction, but in the end his eyes were drawn back to his beloved. 

Fuji swallowed and complied. Even underneath the overcast skies, the gold of the ring glowed brightly, and for a split second  Fuji was absolutely mesmerized. 

Then he looked up, and wide blue-eyes met Tezuka’s, just as the wind picked up again. 

“Tezuka, I can’t accept this! This has to be worth a fortune and I … I …”   


“Don’t worry,” Tezuka answered, uncharacteristically smiling. “Somebody gave it to me during my stay in  Germany last year. It supposedly holds special properties – see the runes?”

Fuji drew a deep breath and opened the black box once again. Tezuka stepped closer, rested his hands over  Fuji ’s 

Neither of them noticed a flock of large, black ravens taking flight behind them. Their wings made no noise, and soon they merged in a whirlwind of black feathers.

“Since I’ll leave in summer,” Tezuka said, resting his chin on  Fuji ’s shoulder. The scent of shampoo mixed with the salty air and he let his eyes slide shut. Silky strands tickled his skin, he could feel each breath  Fuji took. 

A man dressed utterly in black emerged from the flock of ravens. His face was shadowed by a hood, his fluttering coat almost touched the ground and he immediately turned into the direction of the only other two beings on this empty, white beach.

“I wanted to give you something special. I know … I’m not expressive at times, and I don’t want to tie you down after I’m gone. What I want to say is, you’ll always be special to me.”

The man lifted an arm. Metal shone dully in the dim light.

"Tezuka,”  Fuji tilted his head upwards, and smiled the most beautiful smile Tezuka had ever seen, “I …”

 A shot tore through the silence. 

* * *

 

“Honestly,” the woman seated on a throne in a castle somewhere behind a particular rainbow snorted, “wasn’t there a better way to go about it?”

“The situation called for decisive measures,” the man replied with a satisfied smirk, “You should be well aware this saved us from a far worse alternative.”

She shrugged. “You're always so blunt, though.”


	2. Chapter 2

“ Fuji ,” Tezuka gasped, clutching the lifeless body closer. There was no warmth left in the other; and what wasn’t wet with sea water already started freezing. Tezuka closed his eyes, not wanting to see the ice crystals forming in  Fuji ’s hair – confirming what he still could not believe.    


How had it come to this?   


Why had everything happened so fast?   


And why was he still incapable of understanding?   


One moment  Fuji had been next to him, smiling, laughing and happy. And now, not even five minutes later, he was kneeling on a snowy beach clutching his beloved’s body like a lifeline, while icy waves slowly made their way to him.    


Tezuka swallowed back another sob, and reluctantly glanced down on  Fuji ’s face. White like paper and completely still – it broke his heart, and he couldn’t help feeling fresh tears burn in the corner of his eyes.    


If there just was a way to make this undone, he thought.   


If there was a way, he desperately vowed, he’d do everything in his might.    


And at this split second the world dissolved.    


* * *

“There is a way to grant your desire.”    


Tezuka blinked. He found himself in a strange place, with little light, no sky, but no ceiling either. Darkness surrounded him, yet he could clearly see the white-faced woman in front of him.    


“To grant all your desires, as a matter of fact.”   


There were no other colours to her than black and white. Her hair, her lips even were white and her eyes hidden underneath a black hood.    


“Who…?” Tezuka asked, trying to calm his desperately racing heart.   


Just what was happening today? First  Fuji died in his arms – or maybe that had been a nightmare – and now this…   


“I know who killed your beloved,” she continued as if she had read his thoughts. “I also know why this is happening.”   


A pale, bony hand emerged from one oversized sleeve and gestured into the distance, where dark water rested calmly.    


“Whether mortal or immortal, human, demon or god, none can pass the black dragon guarding those gates.” She approached and Tezuka shrank back. “Only those destined to cross over are allowed the passage. Only once in time.”   


For a moment Tezuka believed to see a pair of tall, black gates on the other side of the water, but most probably the darkness caused hallucinations.   


“I can not change this law. The mighty Lord in his castle behind the rainbow can’t either. And not even the power that now rests in your hand is capable of this feat.”   


Tezuka swallowed, not sure how to respond. A part of his mind wanted to wake up, claiming the nightmare had gone on enough; and if he couldn’t wake it meant he’d gone insane – this had no place in reality.    


Rooms that knew no boundaries, people that knew no age – those things belonged to books, movies and nightmares.    


White lips stretched into an icy smile. “But, as I said, there is a way.”   


This had to be a dream, Tezuka wordlessly decided.    


“Cut the thread of fate and I will return your beloved.”   


* * *

Tezuka had no time to wonder about the woman’s cryptic words. He found himself in another place; once again one that knew neither space nor time. But at the centre he could make out the roots of a large, ancient tree.    


And at its foot sat three women, spinning a red thread into complicated pattern.    


One lifted her head and glanced at him    


“He bears the cursed ring.”   


Another looked up. “What have you come for, mortal?”   


“No ring, no magic,” the third raised her head, “Nothing on this earth, the previous or the next, shall be capable of changing what has already been determined.”   


“There is nothing,” the second said, “You can achieve here.”   


“Nothing.” 

“Do not let their words disturb you.” A new voice chimed in. Tezuka jumped, and discovered a young boy – looking no older than eight – standing beside him. 

“Do not interfere!” the first thundered, rising to her feet. 

“I have no intention of interfering with your work,” the boy raised his hands, “I shall merely advise our visitor – you should do the same.”

A dark smile crossed his face. “We do not want him to make the wrong decision, after all.”

The air grew impossibly tense at that moment and Tezuka wished he could disappear. Most of all, he wanted to wake up, but that wish seemed to be out of his reach. Just like  Fuji …

A sharp, vicious pain attacked his heart.  Fuji .    
  
If what happened was real… 

Then….

Then….

Maybe he’d play along. For the moment. Because there was nothing more to lose. 

“Please do advise me wisely.” Tezuka stated, drawing four surprised pair of eyes onto himself. 

“Wise.” The second woman stated. “Wise is a term used only by foolish humans that believe to understand the world.”

The boy giggled. “True, but that doesn’t help our friend here.”

At that the third woman, who’d been keeping to the back until then, stepped forward. “We shall all offer our advice to this young man – but the decision shall be his own to make.”

She glanced at the red thread that kept running endlessly and Tezuka thought he saw a dry smile cross her face. 

“You shall not cut this thread, no matter what you have been told.” She continued. “If you cut it, you might end the world. Cut it and all what we knew to be firm and certain will cease to be.”

Tezuka swallowed hard. 

“My turn now?” The boy smiled. “To be honest, I don’t much care about that thread. You do however, carry a certain ring. Which, as I suppose nobody told you yet, is the reason why your friend was killed.”   


The ladies in the back stiffened, while Tezuka paled.    


His present had ended up killing  Fuji ?   


It was … his fault?   


“The ring has been cursed, aeons ago. You couldn’t have known. Actually, it was best destroyed, along with a lot of other relicts from that age back then. My suggestion would be: join my team and let’s clean up this mess. And in the end you’ll have a world where everything is as it’s supposed to be.”   


The boy’s smile appeared honest and the picture he painted nice, even if destructive. As Tezuka had been watching the other three from the corner of his eye, he saw them pale and wondered.   


“Your friend will be with you again, too, then,” the boy added.    


Tezuka drew a deep breath.    


Fuji .    


He cared little about new worlds, possible instabilities – and maybe he was being completely irresponsible – but the situation was irrational, nightmarish and perhaps the only way out would be not to stray from the path any further.    


Pressing his lips together, Tezuka stepped forward, well aware of four expectant glances resting on his shoulders. With one hand he extracted the ring from his pocket. The gold glinted eerily in the dim light.    


He stopped in front of the red thread. And reached out.   


* * *

“It has been cut.” One of the three whispered.    


The boy smiled. “Looks like the end’s still open.”   


* * *

For a moment, Tezuka found himself back in the realm of the gates. The white-faced woman smiled at him.    


“Your wish shall be granted, now,” she announced. “Just close your eyes and imagine you’re back at the point you started from.”   


* * *

In the next second, blue eyes blinked up at him.    


They were back at the snow-covered beach.  Fuji rested limply in his arms; his face was still pale, but colour slowly returned to his cheeks. Tezuka drew a deep breath –   


Had that just really happened? Had he really just gone somewhere else and …?   


There was no blood on  Fuji ’s clothes. Not a trace of an injury; and already another smile appeared on his lips.    


“Did I black out?” he asked, “I’m sorry, I can’t really remember… just the ring – maybe that was little too much for me.”   


A giggle and Tezuka was torn between being frozen in disbelief and just hugging  Fuji in relief.    


“But that was really sweet, you know. I just …”   


Fuji ’s voice trailed off. His eyes widened and he glanced at somewhere behind Tezuka’s back. A shudder crawled down Tezuka’s spine.    


He turned.    


The black dressed man still stood there. And once more he was raising his weapon.    


* * *

“Now is the chance to reclaim what is ours, sisters.”   


“What should have never been lost.”   


“To end this story, here, before …”   


* * *

The sea turned a little rougher, but neither Tezuka nor  Fuji noticed. Their eyes were helplessly fixed onto the man –    


“You’re not sticking to your own rules, old man,” somebody sharply interrupted.    


Tezuka’s eyes widened.    


Out of nowhere, the young boy he’d met _there_ stood on the beach. And beside him Ms Bryn. What had started barely making sense before, now exploded spectacularly. The fragile meaning he’d been capable of discovering within the events of the last hours shattered.    


“Direct interference,” Ms Bryn said, drawing a long, glinting sword out from under her brown coat, "is prohibited.”   


“Those are your own laws,” the boy continued, “Play by them.”   


His lips quirked upwards and he exchanged a glance with the teacher. “Or rather, you should have.”   


* * *

There was no body, but the man had disappeared. An odd amount of black feathers floated in the air – though Tezuka’s eyes were mesmerized by the blood on the blade his usually so soft-spoken English teacher held.    


“Thank you,” the boy told her, smiling as if nothing was wrong with the world, “As you know, I’m forbidden from touching those, too.”   


“I was aware,” she replied, wiping off the blood, “Think of it as a favour returned.”   


“Very well. I … oh, what a rare visitor!”   


Ms Bryn paled somewhat and the fact that both of them were glancing at something behind Tezuka’s back where only quiet ocean was supposed to be, made his heart falter.    


“Tezuka,”  Fuji whispered, his voice a fascinated whisper, “Look… is this … real?”   


Instinctively Tezuka tightened his hold on the smaller boy. Pressing his lips together, he dared to glance over his shoulder – so much he’d seen within a few hours, so much he still wasn’t willing to believe – what else could still happen?   


A humanoid figure rose from the water; transparent at first, but slowly gaining shape and features. Tezuka’s breathing faltered, and only barely he even noticed Ms Bryn and the boy stand up straighter from the corner of his eye.   


Fuji ’s eyes widened – he recognized the being.    


Pale blond hair fluttered in the wind, an almost expressionless face gazed upon the odd gathering; and  Fuji knew that was the person who’d asked him for directions earlier that day.    


She – or he – had been gone when he’d turned; there’d only been a small puddle of water. Which, looking back, had been out of place in a world of snow and ice. The first shadows of a picture started forming – by far not enough to make out the entire story – but those faint outlines emerging in front of  Fuji ’s eyes were too much already.    


If he interpreted this correctly …   


The figure meanwhile had taken the shape of the woman  Fuji had met. She glided forward, hovering over the water before her feet touched snow-covered sand. Her eyes rested fixedly on Tezuka and she reached out.    


“Return it to us,” she demanded, “Return it where it belongs lest it causes further misfortune.”   


Tezuka pressed his lips together. He still had little idea what was so important about the small thing that had come to rest in his hands – it might yield power, but even that power alone had not been enough to take  Fuji back.    


That power was not sufficient to restore the world to its normal pace.    


Fuji abruptly extracted himself from Tezuka’s arms. The boy glanced to Ms Bryn and the boy, and then back to the expectantly waiting being from the water.    


“May I hazard a guess?” he asked and Tezuka’s eyes widened.  Fuji ’s voice sounded smooth – and nothing in it betrayed even the slightest sense of insecurity. As is  Fuji understood what was happening around them.    


Why everything was happening…   


All Tezuka could do was watch in helpless fascination.    


“This is about a little item also known by the name of – correct me if my pronunciation is wrong – Andvaranaut.”  Fuji smiled.   


“Very good guess, indeed, Fuji-kun,” Ms Bryn commented as if they were back in a classroom discussing grammar.   


Fuji shook his head as if to deny the praise. “My sister is interested in those things, so I heard about it. And I’d believe…”   


He turned to the pale-faced woman standing before the sea. “You’d be one of the original owners, if that term may be applied?”   


“The Andvaranaut knew many owners,” she replied, “Power-greedy fools, all of them.”   


“And those of them who were not, either were turned over time or suffered an even harsher fate,” the boy helpfully supplied. Tezuka shuddered at the light smile that went with those dark words. “Not even the mightiest of them all was spared from its curse.”   


“Not quite to your dislike, I’d guess,”  Fuji lightly interjected.    


Ms Bryn tilted her head. “Your knowledge is indeed impressive, Fuji-kun. But, alas, this is not the time for lessons.” She glanced to where Tezuka still kneeled in the snow. “Tezuka-kun, you need to make a decision.”   


Expectant silence fell.    


Feeling all eyes rest on him, Tezuka swallowed uncomfortably. “I…” He cleared his throat. “That … is not my decision to make.”   


“This ring,” Tezuka continued, well aware of the sceptic and surprised looks he earned himself, “has already been given away as a birthday present. I may hold it, but it isn’t mine anymore.”   


All he could do now was pray things would work out.    


And that he’d finally wake up.    


Fuji smiled. “That makes it mine, doesn’t it?”    


Wake up in his bed, even if it was to the shrill ringing of his alarm clock going off on one of those rare free Sunday mornings. He’d be happy to see overcast skies outside, find the morning hardly brighter than the night, listen to the rain outside ….   


“I’d want the ring to return to its original owners,”  Fuji calmly stated. “I’d like to see the curse undone – but before all of that….”   


He closed his fingers over Tezuka’s hands, and Tezuka could feel the cold metal rest smugly between them.    


“I want everything that happened today to have happened on the 29th.”   


All Tezuka caught was light laughter. Then everything went black.   


* * *

Time might be known for its dubious nature, for its mysterious behaviour in connection with space and gravity. But for time, as for about everything, even concerning black matter – what is not, can not be at the same time within the same space.    


* * *

Tezuka woke to the sound of rain and a warm body lying next to his. He blinked in confusion – not actually at the blurry world, which was a given without his glasses.    


But hadn’t he been on a beach until a few minutes ago?   


Had …?   


Tezuka’s brows furrowed. No. There hadn’t been a foreign English teacher at Seigaku called Byn … Bri … whatever. No, their English teacher had been Mr. Satou from first year onward.    


And people appearing from the sea… returning from the dead – he shuddered – that had merely been a dream. Unusually vivid, but a dream nonetheless.    


After all,  Fuji rested beside him, breathing softly and the alarm clock beside his bed read March 1st.    


_ February 29th, 2009 had never happened, had it? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened: Tezuka's present to Fuji was a ring, also known as Andvaranaut. The ring was made of a special kind of gold, originally treasure of the Rhine maidens (woman who asks for directions), but that gold got stolen by a dwarf named Alberich (the strange small man). As the ring was super powerful, the god(s) stole it from Alberich and it got lost in some confusion afterwards.  
> Now, we have Alberich after the ring (he "kills" one of the Rhine maidens), as well as Ms.Bryn (or Brunhilde/ Brynhild in myth) for personal reasons. Furthermore, a long winter (Fimbulwinter) is a sign of the end of the world (Ragnarok), thus Odin (man in the castle behind the rainbow) and Loki (young boy) take interest. Odin wants the ring for himself, thus he lets his ravens (orignally only two, named Hugin and Munin) spy for him, and has them take human form and kill the ring's current owner (Fuji).  
> The ring goes back to Tezuka and as he wishes to undo the deed, he ends up with Hel (black-and-white-only lady) due to the ring's power. As the ring is not powerful enough to change fate, he needs to cut the thread of fate the Norns are weaving.
> 
> .... I hope that explains most of it, though perhaps not everything.
> 
> Thank you for reading anyway! :3


End file.
